Thank The Rain
by Seto's Darkness
Summary: Under the pouring rain, Naruto realizes his feelings for Sasuke [SasuNaru, highschool fic, AU]


**Warning : **AU, high school fic drabble, cliché-ness, **shounen-ai**, **sappy fluff**, overused… _use_ of rain, slight **language **:) oh, and A KISS! XD

* * *

"Damn it," Uzumaki Naruto, 16 years old, sophomore, cursed the falling raindrops. No, rather, he is cursing his classmates who tricked him that they're going to have a group meeting today, at four o'clock in the afternoon, in the city park. He's cursing himself for falling for an obvious trick. 

He recalled how his classmates held him back yesterday afternoon, commanding him to go for their practice for the upcoming presentation. He recalled how he refused to go, since the area is rather far away from his home. He recalled how Sakura –one of his groupmates, and his crush ever since grade school- _politely_ asked him to go. He recalled how happy he felt when the girl of his dreams spoke to him in a civil manner, without the hatred in her eyes or in her voice. He recalled how he merrily skipped his way home, even stopping for a while at Tsunade's, even though the Old Hag does nothing but scold him or hit him.

He recalled how he grinned brightly at the thought of Sakura _finally _warming up to him; he recalled the satisfaction with the fact that the thought of _Sakura_ and _love_ at the same sentence didn't include the usual memory of Sakura's "love interest", Uchiha Sasuke. He recalled how he felt contented that somebody, is finally, acknowledging him past the hate that the others put at him.

He recalled how he frowned in question as he saw the weather forecast earlier this morning, warning the citizens of Domino about the upcoming storm. But then, he had recalled how Sakura had _asked_ him, as though she hasn't spent the past eight years of knowing each other scorning and despising him.

And now, here he is, Uzumaki Naruto, drenched under the steady pounding of raindrops, his umbrella trying its best to shield its owner from the beating of the icy winds and from the weight of the raindrops falling steadily.

He tried to find a shelter where he could take a break from all the raindrops dripping down his orange shirt and denim pants. It's a good thing that nobody is here, because he doesn't know if he could take it if another person would think that he's actually dumb enough to meet up with his classmates for a group meeting when the storm forecast has been issued the night before.

The dark nimbus clouds are drifting eerily overhead, spilling more salty water down to the earth. The sun is completely covered by the rain clouds, and it's the same for the light in Naruto's heart. He wants to blame his classmates, _Sakura_, but deep down, he knows he couldn't do that. The only one he could blame is himself, because he let himself be blinded by his wish to be recognized and accepted.

The only one to blame… is himself.

**

* * *

**He kept on walking, relatively glad that there's nobody else _stupid _enough to go out in this weather. Nobody could scold him or stop him. Under this pouring rain, he is free to do what he wants. And right now, the prodigy of Konoha High School wants to look for a certain classmate, who he _thinks _is the only other stupid person who'd go out during a storm. He kept on walking, relatively glad that there's nobody else enough to go out in this weather. Nobody could scold him or stop him. Under this pouring rain, he is free to do what he wants. And right now, the prodigy of Konoha High School wants to look for a certain classmate, who he is the only other stupid person who'd go out during a storm. 

He overheard –of course, he wasn't trailing after _him_, of all people- Uzumaki's groupmates telling Naruto to meet up with them on the park near the city's outskirts at this particularly rainy day. _And the idiot probably believed them, _Sasuke thinks spitefully, _because _that _woman told him to._ He pointedly ignored the spark of jealousy that flared within him and continued walking forward.

After a few minutes of almost senseless walking, he finally stumbled upon some progress. Bright, sunshine-colored hair peeked out from the shelter of one worn-out gazebo, and its owner is huddled pathetically, shivering from the harsh weather. _Really an idiot,_ Sasuke confirmed inside his mind, and his lips twitched to a smirk.

His footsteps are light and he easily crossed the distance between the two of them. The plastic bag he's clutching close to his chest made a crumpling noise, and Naruto most probably heard it, because the blond suddenly looked up, and his black eyes confidently met surprised blue ones. The surprise in Naruto's eyes, however, faded away and gave rise –slowly, yet still abruptly- to a newborn emotion: _anger_. Sasuke thinks it is okay –while ignoring the awful pang in his chest- because it is more difficult to handle a curious and depressed Naruto compared to a loud and angry one.

It had been a well-known fact, ever since they were in primary school; Naruto hates Sasuke with a _passion_. They've been classmates since their first grade; back then, Sasuke was just one of the classmates. Every girl fawned over him, but they weren't as rabid as they are now. They're infatuation had been plainly childish and their attention drift between one person and the next within a day.

Naruto had been the only person who didn't offer him cheap sympathies and futile attempts at making him _less sad_ about his parents' death, with a horrible car accident taking their lives at once. _My parents left me too, _Naruto had said, a small smile playing on his lips, _so I know what you feel_. The blond didn't say anything after that, but he continued accompanying the dark-haired child, as Sasuke had looked for comfort in the rays of the afternoon sun.

Naruto had also been the only person who didn't 'ooh' and 'aah' with his accomplishments, with his looks, and Sasuke is thankful for that. He had thought that they could be close friends, but Sasuke was very wrong. The week-end before the start of their final year in grade school, Itachi left him to go for a "long-term business trip". He hadn't returned since then, but Sasuke is fine with it. He doesn't need anyone else –needing Naruto didn't sit well with his young mind before- and he doubted that anybody _needs _him.

He went to school that Monday morning, contented with his new life. It came crashing down the moment Iruka-sensei announced that a transfer student will be joining them. It was Haruno Sakura, and she bashfully introduced herself, all the while fluttering her long eyelashes, and earning a fanclub that very day. To Sasuke's disdain and horror, Naruto was –and still is- one of Sakura's major worshippers; asking her out and getting turned down became a daily –no, _hourly­_- ritual, and it irked Sasuke to no end.

However, Sakura haven't immune to Sasuke's charismatic, sharp looks, and she did to him what Naruto did to her. Actually, she wasn't so bad, and Sasuke wouldn't have hated her so damn much if she didn't take Naruto, _Naruto _away from him—

Sasuke had worked so hard to follow Naruto, turning down offers from various prestigious high schools just to be able to watch over Naruto longer, waiting desperately for _that _chance that Naruto would forget about Sakura and look at the person who has always, always been watching him—

"Hey bastard, I _was _asking you what you are doing here for five minutes already. If you're not going to answer and just stand around here all day—" Naruto's eyes are very bright and accusing, but lively nevertheless, but it was extinguished when Sasuke stared back at him. He trailed off, his mouth opened wordlessly. Realization seeped into his features, and Sasuke couldn't help but frown at Naruto's logic.

"You're here to make fun of me, aren't you?" Naruto asked at last, in a small voice, and in that moment, Sasuke wanted nothing more but to hug him and comfort him and keep him away from the coldness of the pouring rain, and from the coldness of their classmates. "If that's so, _please_ go away. I…" Hesitation, hurt. "I don't need to hear it now…" Defeat, loss. "I'll kick your ass tomorrow, bastard." A hollow promise, but Naruto desperately wants him to believe, so Sasuke doesn't say anything; instead, he smirked tauntingly at the blond.

"Don't assume things, _Naruto_." The words that spilled out Sasuke's mouth held a degree of reproach, as well as some poorly-masked hurt; hurt because Naruto thinks he is _that _kind of a person. Naruto's eyes widened comically, surprised that Sasuke addressed him by his first name.

Wordlessly, Sasuke gave the plastic he was holding close to his chest to the dumbfounded Naruto. The blond took it carefully from him, eyes locked to the package. It's a huge, warm, fluffy sweater, and it's colored orange.

Naruto's eyes shifted to him, and Sasuke felt… _strange_. His face grew hot with Naruto's scrutiny, and he answered the unasked question. "To keep away the cold… and…" Sasuke shuffled his feet awkwardly, and suddenly, the gazebo Naruto was occupying seemed much smaller. "You could treat it as an advanced birthday present…"

His feet are already retreating away from the perkier boy, and he turned around completely as he finished his statement. His head is bowed, the long, raven bangs hiding his blushing cheeks, and his downcast eyes. Rejection is no problem to him, since he honestly isn't expecting anything back from Naruto –because love really works that way- but there's something that pains him when he sees Naruto look at him with anger.

_There. I said it. Now, I can finally sleep at home in peace. Now, I can go and—_

"Stop, Uchiha Sasuke."

**

* * *

**"Stop, Uchiha Sasuke." 

Naruto doesn't know why he stopped the brooding, angsty bastard, but his hands moved on its own. Sasuke _obviously_ doesn't want to be here; this _had _to be a practical joke, played on his expense, as usual. Though the small voice inside his mind is telling him that Sasuke looks _way_ too intimidating for this to be a joke.

His hands gripped the dripping wet fabric of Sasuke's navy blue shirt, and he almost gasped at the freezing temperature of the shirt. "You'll get sick," he blurted out carelessly, before his hold loosened, his hands slowly drifting away from pale-skinned boy.

"Why do you care?" Sasuke asked abruptly, almost sneering. Sasuke's face is turned away from him, so he didn't see Naruto staring at him –well, at this point, at the back of Sasuke's head- with something strange in his eyes. He also didn't see the sudden blush that crossed Naruto's face at the _important _question.

"I don't care!" Naruto said harshly; Sasuke's back stiffened. "I… don't care." Naruto repeated, with the statement still lacking conviction.

"It's just that…"

Sasuke doesn't treat him like everybody else. Granted, they aren't exactly buddy-buddy with each other, but Sasuke doesn't _look_ at him with hatred in his eyes. Sasuke has always been his idol and his rival as well. Even without Sakura in the scene, he had always made Sasuke his goal. In their soccer teams, he always asks his coach to be on the opposite team as the dark-haired teen. It's also the same case with their basketball team.

When Sakura entered the school and captured everybody's heart, Sasuke was strong enough to resist her, and he became the envy and want of everybody. They made a nice pair, Naruto had thought, and he felt a wave of pain at that _implication._

He thought it was because Sakura is also not immune to Sasuke's _charms_. Sakura, the girl that Naruto decided he would convince that he's not like what his classmates treat him. Of course, the wave of jealousy couldn't be because of Sasuke. It _had _to be Sakura, because that's what everybody else does, and that's the _right _thing to do. If it was because of Sasuke… Naruto doesn't want to be different from the others. He doesn't want that, so it should be because of Sakura and not because of Sasuke.

Even then, Naruto still longed for the comfort that Sasuke's presence brought, even though it's during their exchange of insults, or during their heated glares across the court.

And now… Sasuke has given him something that he desperately wished for ever since he was abandoned by everyone.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." The look of questioning and surprise is present in Sasuke's face, and Naruto has seen it all, as he pushed himself forward and his hands caught the cold fabric of Sasuke's shirt again, twisting the other around to face him. The next thing Naruto knew, his lips are already pressed softly against the other _male_, and Sasuke is not pulling away, or punching the lights out of him.

They pulled away almost simultaneously, and the rain steadily poured, with a couple of gusts of wind whipping the nearby trees with ferocity that storms are notorious for. Dazed expressions covered their faces, but they recovered soon after.

"You're sorry for _that_?" Incredulity and a satisfied smirk.

"Not really, but—" Sheepish and embarrassed, with a blush adorning his face.

Uchiha Sasuke, prodigy and school heartthrob, tackled Uzumaki Naruto, outcast and class clown, to the wet ground, their lips pressing against each other in a flurry of pent-up emotions.

Sasuke's present lay forgotten on the wet floor, but it doesn't really matter to Naruto, because if Sasuke's with him, he wouldn't need the sweater to warm him up.

And to think that this was all because of the rain.

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**OWARI**

Sasuke wasn't supposed to harbor some feelings towards Naruto before they meet under the rain, but my fingers went and typed it up XD This oneshot is inspired by the frequent raining here. I'm not sure if I should write a sequel or not… but it depends on the feedback from you guys –smile-

**Flames will be cheerfully ignored while Reviews will make me happy:)**


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